New York at Christmas

Back in 2004, I spent six months living in Brooklyn while working as a graphic design intern for an apparel company in New York City. Our apartment was tiny, and four of us shared a one-bedroom by setting one bed up in the closet, while the other three of us crammed air mattresses into the single bedroom. There was nowhere to walk around the mattresses, as we filled the remaining bedroom space with rolling racks that served as both dressers and closets. My roommates were all older than me, and I ended up spending a lot of time on my own, with just the city noise around me for company. I learned so much about myself while living there, especially how to be comfortable with a bit of loneliness, while being surrounded by thousands of people. The ways that I learned to be independent and courageous during my time there are still a huge part of my life today. Because of this, New York will always feel like home in so many ways.

As my internship came to an end in December of 2004, it was the first time I saw the city bring its Christmas spirit to life. I worked close to the Macy’s building on 34th Street, so it became a daily lunchtime tradition to explore the window decorations and shop for Christmas gifts to take home to my family. It’s so cliché to say, but New York at Christmas-time truly is magical. The decorations and twinkling lights all over the city fill you with true happiness. It was a time of year that filled my heart with joy and hope, and it made me want to bring everyone I love to see it in person.

I took my husband to see all the magic of New York at Christmas the first weekend in December, 2015, and it was everything I remembered it to be. We stayed at the Cassa Times Square boutique hotel, which was a short walk away from Broadway and so many great tourist attractions. Drinks and dinner at The Monkey Bar one night, followed by an outstanding meal at Beauty & Essex the next evening were genuine highlights. After our short visit to the city together, we were heading up to the West Point Academy, where our very good friends lived at the time. With their two young boys looking forward to seeing us for the holidays, we of course had to make sure we picked up gifts for them! We spent hours at the Lego Store at Rockefeller Center choosing just the right kits for them. And a short walk to the Magnolia Bakery after that adventure was the highlight of my day. Definitely a throw-back memory to my days living there in school.

 

The first time we grabbed a slice of pizza was on the way back to the hotel, super late at night. We’d already eaten too much at dinner, but couldn’t resist the scent of a New York pie, calling to us. Now, I know there is a forever-long debate going on about New York vs. Chicago pizza, and I am 100% a New York pizza girl. That night, my husband became a New York pizza lover, too. Something about the unique dough and sauce that seems to be universal throughout the city, but nowhere else, is just so memorable.

We spent a day in Brooklyn, where I showed off my old Williamsburg stomping grounds. Wandering around, trying to find some of my favorite food spots, we came across some new breweries, and ended up doing a little brewpub tour on our own. Keg & Lantern in Greenpoint was a serious favorite, and it looks like we weren’t the only ones who thought so. They seem to be booming and growing even more so now!

With New York always having such a stronghold on my heart, it has been difficult to be away again for so long. I look forward to getting back there sometime soon, even if it’s not for Christmas.